Creatures of Habit
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU alive!Lenore is a coroner who accidentally examines a not so dead corpse. Ragamuffin does not take too kindly to her meddling and a world of wackiness ensues.
1. Chapter 1

Creatures of Habit

Summary: AU alive!Lenore is a coroner who, accidentally examines a not so dead corpse. Ragamuffin does not take too kindly to her meddling and a world of wackiness ensues.

A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you for taking the time to look at my story. This is my first mult-chapter fic so please review if you want me to continue it. I'd love to hear your feedback! Also, I apologize for any OOC-ness that may appear, I tried to keep them as close to canon as possible.

Chapter 1- Misunderstandings

Peering behind red-rimmed glasses, Lenore Lynchfast studied the clipboard in her hand, blue eyes widening in surprise. What luck, a body with no outward signs of death! She smiled to herself, humming a little tune as she picked up the nearest scalpel. Now she could examine the corpse fully, much to her joy. She shook off her reading glasses and placed them on the silver tray along with the file.

Apparently, the body of the young man had been found lying on an empty coffin in an abandoned storehouse.

One of the Nevermore cops had taken a stroll through a back alley to finish his patrol. He hadn't expected to see a trail of blood leading up into the building. The young man as well as a brunette woman had been found dead, the woman having her throat ripped out and intestines removed.

It was a shame, she thought. While she enjoyed her job, it was always sad to see someone so young die.

'He almost looks like he's sleeping' she pondered. His chest was still covered by the body bag. Crimson stained his pale lips, a stark contrast to the pallor of his skin.

'Perhaps he suffered from some internal bleeding,' she thought. Pulling on the latex gloves, she stared at the body and frowned. Something wasn't right; she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Oh well, time to get started." Lenore murmured to no one in particular, scalpel poised at the collarbone.

Just as she made a tiny incision into the skin, the body jumped, as if being stunned awake. Blood red eyes flickered open, boring holes into Lenore's blue orbs.

"Oww…" The supposed corpse yelled, attempting to sit up. He swung his legs over the metal gurney, the wheels screeching with age as he got to his feet. The dark-haired man held the black bag over his lithe form as he approached the girl.

Lenore clutched the scalpel close to her chest, eyes wide with surprise.

"What, cat got your tongue?" He teased, a sinister smile plastered on his face.

The girl shook her head. "N-no sir! I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding! I wouldn't have cut you if I knew you were still alive."

The man laughed. "You must be really dense, kid! I am dead." His amused tone quickly turned sinister, eyes poised at her jugular.

"Excuse me?'

"It's like I said before. I-am-not-alive. And now that you know what I am, I can't just let you leave…"

He grabbed her shoulders roughly, face twisted in a malicious grin.

"Did you hit your head or something, sir? I could get you an aspirin if you need one. Do you remember how you ended up here?"

The vampire sounded exasperated, resisting the urge to face palm. "Listen, kid—"

"My name's Lenore and I'm twenty-two years old."

The man groaned inwardly. "Alright Lenore…" He spoke her name with contempt, malice laced in his words.

"That lady you found with me, I killed her. It was me; I don't want some run-of-the-mill murderer stealing my kill."

The girl laughed, patting his shoulder gently.

"I don't believe you. The autopsy reported a wild animal as being the most likely culprit. You don't need to lie to make yourself feel better."

"Listen, kid—"

"My name is Lenore" She retorted, moving to return the scalpel to the metal tray.

"H-hey, don't walk away from me! I'm the eternal vampire scourge! The feared Ragamuffin!"

The girl did her best to suppress her giggles, muffling her voice with her hand.

"Ragamuffin? What kind of name is that?"

He let out a growl. "Shut up… my victims though it was terrifying!"

"Right, your 'supposed' victims. Are you done with this silly game yet? Why don't you tell me how you really ended up sleeping on a coffin?"

The sound of screeching metal was heard as the door to the autopsy room opened.

"Lenore, my love? It is me, your knight in shining armor!" The man shouted, falling flat on his face as he crossed the tiled threshold.

"Uh, Mr. Gosh, nice to see you…" Lenore forced the words out, grimacing all the while.

The spectacled blonde-haired man raised his face from the ground, smiling, only to have a bare foot stomp on the back of his head.

"Later, Lenore. Oh, and I want my suit back."

Ragamuffin gave what could only be thought of as a farewell glance before ducking out of the room.

"H-hey, come back, this area is blocked off for authorized personnel only!" Mr. Gosh chased after the black blur, waving his badge at the supposed criminal.

"Just another day at the office…" Lenore mumbled, returning to her paperwork.


	2. Chapter 2-The Stalker and the Fiend

Chapter 2- The Stalker and the Fiend

A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay; I was unsure as to whether continue the story but since I got some reviews I didn't want to let anyone down! Thanks again for the support and if you get the chance, please review and tell me what you think!

* * *

Lenore sighed for the umpteenth time, burrowing her head in a heap of files. How does one explain that the corpse they were supposed to do an autopsy on walked out during dissection?

"Someone kill me," she groaned, pulling at strands of her blonde hair.

"That can be arranged, you know."

A figure emerged from the dark corridor, bright eyes shining maliciously.

"Ragamuffin? Good thing you're here! How do I explain that you walked out of here alive?"

The man frowned, adjusting the collar of his white dress-shirt. "I just threatened you. Aren't you a tad bit scared? Did you hit your head as a child or something?"

She stuck out her tongue childishly, "I never hit my head, but my mom did say something about chewing on the lead bars of my cot… never mind. I just don't find you all that scary. You're gonna have to try harder than that; my job makes me nearly immune to all types of horror."

She smiled, pushing the rim of her glasses further up her nose. The vampire sneered, eyes fixed in a tight glare. "You want scary? How about—"

"Lenore, my love, I've stopped by for a visit!" The girl let out a scream as the man opened the door, greeting the pair with a smile.

"Ah, my sweet flower, who is this… guest? He looks oddly familiar…"

He had begun to frown, walking over to the shaking girl.

"Mr. Gosh—"

"Ah, ah, ah, I told you Lenore, you can call me Willi—"

"I'd prefer to call you an idiot." She mumbled, shutting the manila folder on her desk.

"What was that, my darling?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Mr. Gosh, this is Raga- I mean Roy. He's an old friend of mine. He came to pick something up."

She reached under her desk to pull out a black suit on a hanger. Plastic had been wrapped around it, with a little dry-cleaning tag stuck to the hanger.

"Here you go, Roy."

She handed him the clothes before patting the confused vampire on the back, guiding him towards the door.

"W-wait, I wasn't done talk—"

"Sorry, Roy, but I'm pretty busy right now. In fact, I don't have a second to spare. Mr. Gosh?" The blonde man perked up, returning his gaze to Lenore.

"Could you do me a favor and leave as well?"

"Of course! I'd do anything for my love! Battle monsters, drown, drink a glass of arsenic, burn, be stabbed thirty-seven times, stung to death—"

"I understand but I really need you to leave." She slammed the metal door behind them, sighing in relief.

The blue-eyed woman fell to the floor, hugging her legs to her chest. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax. It had been a really long day, between the paper work, Mr. Gosh, and Ragamuffin. Lenore bit her lip. Something was different about that man, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She shook her head; no use dwelling on questions she couldn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes, lulled to sleep by the faint music drifting in from the hall.

* * *

"Oi. Wake up."

A light tap on her forehead caused the girl to startle awake, smacking her head against a hard surface."

"Oww…" She mumbled, rubbing the red spot on her forehead.

"Geeze! Why'd ya hit me for?" The vampire nearly growled, clutching at his forehead as well.

"S-sorry, I'm somewhat of a heavy sleeper."

The man made a noise that sounded like a snort.

"You don't say? I've waited forever for you to wake up. I even shook you but you didn't move. I can't believe a tap on the forehead when a freaking scream didn't. For a second I even thought you were dead."

"Shut up…" She glowered, cheeks dusted a soft pink.

"Why are you here, anyway?"

"I wanted to tell you I got rid of your little problem." He smirked, adjusting his tie. He had changed back into his suit and Lenore had to admit, he looked good in a weird zombie-corpse kind of way.

"What problem?"

"That guy, Gosh. Let's just say he won't be bothering us anytime soon. After you shoved us outside I invited him to dinner. I told him I wanted to talk to him about you."

"And he agreed?"

"Of course. We had a great dinner, or at least, I did. O+ is my favorite."

The girl laughed, patting the man on the back in what she assumed was a comforting motion.

"You can stop with this 'vampire' nonsense. Unless you actually have Renfield Syndrome… did you kill small animals as a child?" She drawled, returning to her desk.

Lenore pulled out her briefcase (a gift from her father), pausing to shuffle files into a neat pile. A pale hand grabbed her writs, startling her.

"I am not lying, Lenore." Ragamuffin stared straight at her, eyes poised at the beating pulse of her wrist.

"N-no, I still don't believe you!"

"Not even now?" He questioned, pulling her wrist to his mouth. A spike of fear rose from her gut as Ragamuffin opened his mouth, exposing a set of fangs.

"R-Ragamuffin, stop! I believe you, let go!"

But the man seemed transfixed on her pulse, lapping at the pale skin.

"Stop!" She slapped him with her free hand, leaving a red imprint on his cheek. This managed to snap him out of his trance, eyes wide with shock. He let go of her wrist, gaze fixed to the floor.

"Lenore, I'm sorry… I just wanted to show you the truth—"

"I think you need to leave, Ragamuffin." Tears had begun to drip down her cheek, face flushed red.

"Lenore—" He started, reaching towards the girl.

"Leave. Please…" She begged, walking away from the raven-haired man and returning to her desk.

In moments he was gone, leaving the girl to crumple into a heap against the tile floor. Paper scattered across the room as she let out choked sobs.

* * *

A finely dressed man walked the streets of Nevermore, darting between old buildings and warehouses. He made his way to an abandoned apartment, jiggling the handle until it unlocked. In too bad a mood to hunt, the man laid against the mahogany coffin, eyes drifting towards the cracked window. He could make out faint stars through the faded glass as he removed his red tie.

Before he left the room he had managed to catch a glimpse at the blonde's signature. Lenore Lynchfast… why did her last name seem so familiar? The question left a sour taste in his mouth. The vampire fell into an early, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Somewhere, the corpse of a man twitched, fingers grasping at loose dirt. A strangled moan fell from his lips as the man clawed at his grave.

"Lenore…"


	3. Chapter 3- Reunions and Apologies

Chapter 3- Reunions and Apologies from a Grave

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Schoolwork's been kicking my butt lately and now that summer's here I've been swamped with actual work… Anyway, please review if you enjoyed the story! Thanks!

* * *

It had been two weeks since the 'incident.' Lenore hadn't seen Ragamuffin or Mr. Gosh since that day (with the latter being reported as missing). Twirling her fingers absentmindedly, the girl let out a sigh. No work meant she had nothing to distract her from the painful truth: that she had (tentatively) befriended a monster.

He had killed Mr. Gosh (who wasn't that—ok, he was really bad) almost as a twisted peace offering. Instead of a friend who brings flowers when they try to cheer someone up, the man had brought a corpse.

"No use dwelling on the past…" She muttered, picking up her belongings and leaving the room.

* * *

The coffee shop had been surprisingly empty. Only one man, head buried in a newspaper, and a staff member had been mulling about the interior. Warm red lights bathed the room in a soft glow as the girl walked towards the wooden counter. Her shoes clacked noisily against the tile as she waited for the man to notice her. He smiled, pulling the red apron back on.

"Welcome to Malachi's Coffee. What would you like?"

"One java chip, please." Lenore responded, fishing into her bag to pull out her skull shaped wallet.

"Here you go, have a nice night." The man, a tall youth with dark eyes and messy brown hair handed her the drink.

"Thank you." She replied, relishing in the warmth radiating from the Styrofoam cup.

The little bell on the shop door chimed quietly, signaling the arrival of a certain familiar face.

"Uh… hi, Lenore. For the record, I _totally _did not follow you here or anything!" He greeted sheepishly, hands in his pockets. _Nope. He definitely didn't follow her appetizing scent or anything…_

The girl nearly dropped her coffee in surprise, taking in the man's appearance.

Dark circles hung below his eyes, his hair was messy and disheveled, even his once garnet eyes were a faded mahogany. In other words, he looked, well, dead.

"Ragamuffin, what happened?" She pushed back thoughts of their previous meeting, guiding the feeble-looking man into one of the large, plush chairs.

The vampire winced as he settled into the seat, fingers curling around the armrest. Her scent was so tempting and he was so hungry… a single bite wouldn't hurt, would it?

"Lenore." He stared deep into her eyes, causing the blonde to be transfixed by his crimson gaze. He parted his lips, breathing in her sweet scent. It reminded him of sunflowers and the ocean and it was positively intoxicating.

"Here," The employee handed Ragamuffin a Styrofoam cup, breaking the hypnotic trance Lenore was in. The raven-haired man could immediately tell the contents of the cup and gave the man a quizzical look.

"What? Why would you—"

"I go by Taxidermy. I was a hunter a long time ago… now, I run this store. I have seen many things even you could not comprehend." The cryptic remark left the room empty of sound, save for the buzz of the small electric fan.

"So, what happened Ragamuffin?" The girl questioned, sipping her own coffee thoughtfully.

"I-I…" He started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, avoiding her gaze.

"I've become only attracted to your blood, okay? I haven't been able to eat anything in weeks! No bones, guts, blood… nothing! I've never felt such a _craving _before so why?"

"You've stopped feeding? Will you die?"

"Eventually, I would. I could sleep for a few hundred years… but that's not really my style."

"I see."

He held the cup tightly, tensing at the thought of ripping off the lid and drinking the warm liquid. It was a mix of hunger and repulsion that terrified him.

"You're not a witch, are you? One nearly turned me into a doll ten years ago… how else would I suddenly acquire these strange emotions? Ah, to hell with it! To be completely honest, I've been torn between ripping your throat out and… wanting to protect you. You're like a duck, a cute, albeit mentally handicapped duck that I want to hold but at the same time eat! Gah! This is ridiculous! He ran his alabaster fingers through his dark hair, eyes cast to the floor.

Lenore subconsciously brought her hand to her throat but kept her eyes on the monster in front of her. "Well, I like occult-ish things, but I don't know any spells or incantations. I'm sorry that you're so conflicted. And I don't know whether to be slightly pleased to think that I remind you of a duck or if I should be offended that you called me mentally handicapped."

He let out an exasperated sigh, ignoring her previous statement, "I never thought I would ever be missing my human years!"

"You were human once?"

"Of course!" He scoffed, folding his arms indignantly.

"No one's born a vampire. I was turned over three hundred years ago."

"Was it forced?"

"What?"

"I mean, did you want to become a vampire?"

The man chuckled. "I thought it was what I wanted. I was tired of the monotony. One day, the chance to do something interesting appeared and I took it without a second glance. I'm pretty sure my master's dead by now. He tended to stay too close to humans. When vampires get tangled up in human affairs, the odds of them dying skyrocket. I remember when my face was plastered all over Nevermore on posters. It seems that everyone has either forgotten or died."

He took a tentative sip from the cup, almost gagging. Despite the warmth that flooded through his veins, the liquid felt heavy against his throat. Begrudgingly, he swigged the whole cup down, willing himself not to throw up. Luckily, he did not and the blood did its intended affect.

The circles under his eyes began to fade and he gained some color back from his pasty skin. Even a hint of crimson had returned to his eyes.

Suddenly, the man reading the newspaper stood up. What the group once thought was blonde hair was actually a sack, button eyes stitched onto the burlap bag. He moved in an almost comical fashion, one foot dragging behind the other like a typical zombie. Dropping the newspaper, he revealed his blood-stained attire, pieces of dirt and dust sticking to his suit (along with beetles and other unsightly insects).

"L-Lenore, my darling, I've come back for you…" He moaned, approaching the blonde.

"Shit! I didn't mean to make him a ghoul!" Ragamuffin cursed, looking towards the coroner. She had rooted herself to the spot, eyes flickering with a foreign emotion.

"Uh, Lenore, are you okay—"

"Wow! I've never seen a body moving in this stage of rigor mortis! I must take a few samples!" The vampire stared incredulously as the cobalt-eyed girl pulled out a scalpel and a pair of scissors from her purse, stalking over to the man.

Even as a zombie, Mr. Gosh realized the danger he was in and immediately backed away from the approaching woman. He fell to the tiled floor, scrambling as fast as he could towards the front door.

"Now, you have to stay still! If you don't this may hurt… a lot." She grinned widely, nearly skipping over to the walking corpse.

"Ah, Lenore, don't you think it's weird that he came back as a zombie? Shouldn't we fix that instead of dissecting him?"

"No! Science obviously comes first! Don't worry; I can examine your body too if you want."

"…I'll pass. Just don't get blood on the floor. It would be rude to Taxidermy."

"Actually, I'm quite alright with this. I haven't seen a fair amount of bloodshed for a long time. I can lend you my scythe, if it would help. It could open up his gut and expose his intestines in moments."

"Really? Ragamuffin, could you hold him down while Taxidermy gets his scythe? This is so exciting! A walking corpse; I wonder if he'll still be moving after I rip out his heart?" It was the happiest Ragamuffin had ever seen the girl and if he was honest with himself, it was slightly unnerving. To think there was someone who could rival his own bloodlust and she wasn't even a vampire!

"Alright, but ya owe me one!" He replied, tackling the zombie just as his fingers had curled around the metal doorknob. He straddles his waist, letting out a cocky grin. "Now, you just stay right here. I'm sure whatever Lenore will do is going to hurt much, much worse than what I did."

Muffled screams emerged from the sack over his head as the blonde approached, wielding what appeared to be a huge scythe.

"Don't worry, Mr. Gosh! If it's any consolation, I find you much more attractive now."

The sack-man let out choked sobs as the scalpel slid against his chest.

* * *

The blonde coroner ran her hands under the kitchen sink, washing them with cold water. After the 'dissection' Taxidermy was kind enough to dispose of the body, leaving the girl more than satisfied.

"I totally thought he'd stop moving after I ripped his heart out, Ragamuffin! I can't believe it took thirty-seven knives for him to die again!"

The raven-haired man eyed the petite blonde wearily. "I didn't realize how proficient you are with a knife. Remind me to never piss you off. Anyway, why were you ok with killing him now when you seemed so upset when I killed him the first time?"

"Well… he was already dead, wasn't he? I was just examining a corpse—a talking, obsessive corpse—but a dead man nonetheless."

"What about me? I'm technically undead."

She laughed, turning towards the vampire. "Yah, but you're more alive than you are dead. You have needs and wants that exceed the superficial. Mr. Gosh only had one thing on his mind and frankly, he smelled just like the rotting corpses I examine every day. You don't. I mean, you still smell like death, but not in a bad, sardine-smelling kind of way."

The man resisted the urge to facepalm. "…Right. Well, that 'dissection' took longer than I thought it would. It's almost morning. I'm feeling kind of tired so I'm gonna leave. Tell Taxidermy I said bye." With that, the vampire was gone, a blur of black as he raced out of the shop door.

Lenore smiled, humming as she washed off her tools. It seemed their tentative friendship hadn't ended after all. And she had Mr. Gosh of all people to thank. Who knew killing could bring people together?

* * *

Placing her briefcase on the table, Lenore picked up the metal clipboard. She flipped through the pages, looking at the case files of those she had slated for autopsy that day. Just as she placed the clipboard on the table the metal door screeched open, signaling the arrival of a certain raven-haired vampire.

"Ragamuffin! You came just in time! I have a proposition for you!"

"Hmm? What do ya want, kid?" He drawled, languidly walking towards her desk.

"Well, I've thought of a solution to your little 'problem' that could benefit both of us!" She said, unclasping the buckles on her briefcase.

She tossed him a blood packet, giving a lopsided smile.

"Is this—"

"Yep! I have a friend who's a nurse. Luckily, she didn't ask too many questions. I've told her I'll need her 'services' every two weeks. That's enough for you, right?"

The vampire had long since tuned out her words, eyes trained to the blood packet. With little warning, he dug his fangs into the packet, nearly moaning as the blood filled his mouth. He gulped it down quickly, not even caring that it was only lukewarm. Ragamuffin reluctantly retracted his fangs from the blood packet when it was empty, the burning in his throat quenched for the time.

"Alright. What do you want in return?" He turned back to the coroner who had been watching him the whole time as if she was studying him like one of her corpses.

"Well, I've been promoted—sort of. I'm going to start working out on the field and I need someone. A partner. You're good at pointing out blood and other things and you can also help me catch suspects, considering the way you subdued Mr. Gosh. You can hypnotize people also, can't you? I'm sure you could 'convince' everyone on the Unit to think you've been a part of the team for years."

"That sounds like a lot of work. And I'm not exactly a mornin' person." He started, only to see the puppy dog eyes she was giving him. Her bottom lip quivered and it looked like she would break out into tears at any moment.

The vampire turned away, muttering, "Fine. J-just don't cry, okay? I'll be your stupid partner or whatever. It's not like I have anything better to do—but realize I'm doing this only for your blood!"

The girl immediately brightened, giggling at his childish behavior.

"Thanks, Ragamuffin! Oh, and… I'm sorry 'bout slapping you that time."

He sighed, walking over to the girl. Hesitantly, he placed one hand over her head, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry 'bout it, kid. Just keep acting like a clumsy duck and I'll probably be more inclined to keep you safe than eat your flesh."

"H-hey, what happened? You started calling me Lenore at the coffee shop!" She glowered, sticking out her tongue.

"Did I? Kid just rolls off the tongue more, ya know? Now, come on, we've got a police department to hypnotize."

Lenore followed behind the vampire, gazing at his back as they walked down the empty corridor. He turned slightly to look back at her, a crimson eye looking at her perplexedly.

"I-It's nothing! I'm just glad I got to meet you, Ragamuffin!"

He sighed, returning his gaze forward. "You say the weirdest of things sometimes… but, that doesn't mean I hate it."

_No_, he thought, shoving his hands in his pocket, _he was glad he wasn't alone anymore_.

* * *

A/N: Hope this makes up for the delay! Thanks again for the reviews so far! I've finally decided how I want this story to go, so look forward to more regular updates. I promise to won't be three months till the next update, lol :P

-Isis


End file.
